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A US court has ruled that the practical closure of the VOA last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its journalists.

Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Deadline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.

Wartime Roots and Recent Closure

The VOA was first set up in World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.

Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.

Management Shake-Up and Widespread Firings

President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.

Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a small number of employees remaining.

Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.

Court’s Rationale and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.

In this week's ruling, the judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response

Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful for the judge's decision.

“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.

Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications

It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.

Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.